Tales from the Band Room
by Xcalated
Summary: Various one-shots and stories of the many characters in Hibike! Euphonium.
1. Still Friends

With a "Good job everyone." and wishing everyone a good evening, Taki-sensei had concluded their practice for the day before he left the room to go to the staff room and wait for the last person to lock up the room in which they had practice in.

As soon as he left, the room became bustling with sound. With many people either talking to each other to discuss about their day, their thoughts on how practice went, their plans on what they were doing afterwards, or just people preparing to clean and pack up.

"Kaori-senpai, can I walk home with you today?" Yuuko asked very cheerfully as she turned her head towards Kaori. Asking Kaori-senpai to hang out with her after band was over had often been her first priority to do.

"I'm sorry Yuuko-chan, I'd love to but I promised Haruka that I would walk with her today." Kaori said with an apologetic smile as she clapped her hands together.

"Oh, that's alright then." Yuuko said disappointed as her composure deflated.

Kaori apologized again before bowing and heading over to Haruka in the room.

"You never stop trying do you?"

Yuuko jumped up at the sudden voice.

She turned around to the source of the voice and much to her displeasure found Natsuki standing there with her usual smug grin whenever she was messing with her.

"Shut it you." Yuuko retorted.

"I would join you to make you feel less lonely but I actually do have plans to hang out with Oumae-chan after school." Natsuki said before walking past her and putting her hand on Yuuko's shoulder. "So I hope you don't get too lonely without me."

"As if I needed or even wanted you to join me!" Yuuko exclaimed at Natsuki's retreating back as she only laughed it off.

Yuuko sighed. Since she was alone, she decided she might as well just pack up her trumpet and head straight for home.

Then something caught her eye. After some people in the row in front of her had moved. She spotted a familiar tuff of blue hair still sitting down.

Her gaze settled on Mizore, where it lingered for a couple of moments. She noticed that the girl hadn't moved yet either and was still packing up as well. An idea popped up in Yuuko's head but it was not long before her mind had shot it down.

Yuuko had debated whether or not she wanted to go up and maybe ask Mizore to walk home with her. She had done so before plenty of times. Very often did they used to walk home together or hang around at restaurants after school together. The key words in that were 'used to' though.

Ever since the whole debacle concerning Nozomi, Yuuko felt something had changed concerning Mizore.

On one hand, Yuuko had been glad that Mizore managed to reconnect with Nozomi. It looked like Mizore was a hundred times more happier now and it was evident in both her personality and her playing. Hashimoto-sensei had been correct when he said something good had happened to her.

But on the other hand, ever since they had reconnected, Yuuko felt that she hadn't had as much time to hang around Mizore anymore. Ever since Nozomi came back into her life, that was all she was ever attached to.

That in there lied the problem for Yuuko. Their relationship had changed. Because all Mizore wanted to do was be with Mizore, Yuuko hadn't gotten the chance to hang out with Mizore anymore like she used to.

Feeling a little downtrot, Yuuko decided that she would just go home by herself.

She stood up from her chair.

But it wasn't until she walked a few steps towards the door that she suddenly almost ran into someone.

Yuuko jumped back a little before she saw that it was Mizore.

Both of the girls stopped in their paths. It had seemed that both of them had made their way towards the door at the same time.

"Oh, sorry Yuuko." Mizore said. "You can go ahead."

Yuuko shook her head. "No it's fine. It doesn't matter, you can go first."

"No, it's alright..." Mizore said meekly.

Figuring that she might as well listen to Mizore, Yuuko nodded and walked first out of the door. Shortly after, Mizore followed behind her.

Mizore walked behind Yuuko for a while. Yuuko expected for Mizore to diverge her path towards the classroom where the Monaka girls were usually at for practice to go see Nozomi. But to her surprise, it got to the point where she was walking out of the school grounds with Mizore right behind her.

Eventually, Yuuko slowed her pace until she was right beside Mizore. Mizore seemed to have noticed and acknowledged Yuuko beside her as they continued to walk together.

After some moments of silence of walking together, Yuuko spoke up, curious to know why she wasn't with Nozomi.

"Don't you usually walk home together with Nozomi?" Yuuko curiously asked as she turned towards Mizore.

"Oh, Nozomi is going off together with Monaka to do something for another one of their arts and crafts project." Mizore said. "So she told me to go on ahead without her after band was over."

"Oh." Yuuko said.

And just like that, there was silence between them again after Yuuko got her answer as to why Mizore was here.

They continued walking with no more words spoken between them. Yuuko felt awkward with this air around them. She needed to say something.

"Hey." Yuuko turned to Mizore.

"Ano." Mizore turned to Yuuko.

Both girls were surprised when they started to say something at the same time.

"Go ahead." Yuuko said.

"Ah, no it's alright. You can say what you wanted to say." Mizore lowered her head.

"You let me go first through the door back in the classroom. You can go first this time." Yuuko said.

"Oh, alright." Mizore kind of perked her head up a little. "Yuuko...did you want to..." She started off.

"Hmm?"

Mizore kind of shifted her legs a little bit. And it looked like she was squirming a little. She looked as if she was nervous about something.

"Did you want to maybe...go to a restaurant together?"

"Eh?"

* * *

"This is a surprise." Yuuko said as she set down her tray

"What is?" Mizore said as she was already chewing down a french fry at the table they were sitting in.

"You asking someone to hang out." Yuuko said. "You're someone that's usually too...shy to ask someone to hang out with them."

Mizore's expression changed to a sheepish expression after Yuuko said that.

"Well, Nozomi did tell me to be more confident when talking to other people." Mizore said.

"Oh. Well that's good." Yuuko said.

 _"Another reason why Nozomi is a positive influence on Mizore."_ Yuuko thought. _"Even I couldn't get her to be more sociable no matter how many times I tried."_

Yuuko let out an internal sigh.

"But I wouldn't say it's easy for me to go up to any person and do this." Mizore said.

"Hmm?" Yuuko turned her head up.

"We used to do this all the time together right?" Mizore said.

Yuuko gave a thoughtful look. "Yeah, you're right, we did."

But most of the time, it was usually Yuuko that asked Mizore out to these places. Her original statement still stood though.

"But you are right though. I kind of did ask you here for a reason."

Yuuko perked up. Looks like she was going to get her answer after all why Mizore asked her here.

"Yuuko. I just wanted to say that...I never got to say thank you." Mizore said in a meek voice.

"Thank me?" Yuuko asked confused. "For what?"

"For everything..."

Yuuko tilted her head and was still confused. Mizore noticed the confusion.

"How should I put this..." Mizore said as she shuffled in her seat a little. "Before Nozomi came back, you were there for me this whole time, and I never got to thank you for it." Mizore said.

Yuuko's face scrunched up a little. She hadn't expected this at all. "What brought this on?""

"I've noticed how things are kind of different lately. I've been having fun with Nozomi again but it felt like something was missing. It took a while before that's I realized that we haven't been hanging out together anymore."

Yuuko was surprised. So Mizore had also been thinking the same thoughts she had about their relationship. She thought that Mizore had just forgotten about her and moved on with Nozomi.

"I kind of missed being with you again. It made me realize something about our friendship." She looked down and started fiddling her thumbs. "I remember your words that you said to me that day me and Nozomi made up and I did some reflection about it. And I realized was stupid to think that you had just been pitying me. I realized that you were the one that had been by my side in the time me and Nozomi were separated."

Mizore looked back up to Yuuko. From what Yuuko could tell, Mizore's eyes were kind of watery. "I had been so wrapped up in how I felt that I never took the chance to think about how you felt. That's why I want to apologize. And to thank you for everything you've done for me..." Mizore said.

"Mizore you idiot."

"Huh?"

Suddenly Mizore's cheeks were pinched. After that it was being stretched. Reminiscent of the time that Yuuko did the same thing to Mizore in the classroom.

"You don't need to thank me or apologize for anything."

"Eh?" Mizore looked confused as Yuuko continued playing with her cheeks.

"Friendship doesn't need any of that." Yuuko said as her own eyes started to get watery a little bit too.

"Yuuko..."

"I was just happy that you were happy again as well after everything that had happened." Yuuko said. "I was glad to have been your friend and I still am your friend."

Mizore's expression brightened up after Yuuko said that.

Yuuko let go of Mizore's face and sat back. "I won't lie when I say that I missed being with you as well. Truth be told, I was kind of jealous on how much time you were spending with Nozomi. I know that she was your first friend and everything but..." Yuuko's voice fell of a little as she looked to the side.

Mizore reached over and placed her hands on Yuuko's hand. Yuuko turned back to look at Mizore who had a happy expression on her face.

"Thanks for everything Yuuko."

"What did I just say about that."

Mizore giggled as she let go of Mizore's hand.

"So it's alright if we can still hang out like this?"

"Of course! What kind of question is that?" Yuuko exclaimed. "Just promise that if you have any free time when you're not hanging out with Nozomi, that you'll come to me too."

Mizore smiled. "I will."

* * *

 **AN: I wrote this because it certainly felt like Yuuko got left out in the cold after the Mizore arc where Yuuko poured her heart out for Mizore. So I wrote this because I can certainly imagine that they could still be friends after all of that.**


	2. Unlikely Acquaintances

Reina took a seat as she sat down on the seats on the side of the train. She waited until the door closed and the train started moving before she leaned back and relaxed in her seat.

The reason she was currently by herself was the same reason she was headed towards her destination, more specifically, Kumiko's apartment.

Something was up when Reina had noticed that Kumiko wasn't on the train to get to school and her seat had remained empty during practice at school.

During the band's free time to practice, she had asked what Midori what happened, knowing she probably had noticed her disappearance as well and was probably the first one to text Kumiko in worry over what happened to her. Midori had told her that apparently Kumiko was down with another sickness and was resting at home again. So she decided that she would come over to visit like the last time Kumiko was sick.

The train began to roll to a slow as it was about to stop at another station. As the train came at a complete halt, the doors opened to allow either people to get off or for them to get on.

"I'll see you tomorrow Chikao."

"Mhm, see you tomorrow Shuuichi."

Reina turned her head towards the voices, voices that had sounded familiar.

She was right in that they were familiar when she saw Tsukamoto walk onto the train at the door that had been near her and she saw Takigawa standing at the platform as well waving goodbye.

As the doors began to close and Shuuichi surveyed the train as to where he was going to sit, his gaze brushed over Reina.

Reina had already been looking at him and so when he saw her, they locked eyes.

They had stared at each other for a quick moment. But only for a moment. Shuuichi acknowledged her presence with a quick nod to which Reina responded with a nod as well as he walked over to sit down on the sides of the train, but at a little distance away from Reina to her left.

They glanced at each other occasionally, kind of uneased by a weird air.

Both of them were thinking the same thing. They were at the very least acquaintances so they felt compelled that they needed to say something. But it was kind of an awkward situation for 2 people that usually never talked to each other directly. Especially since the bridge that would connect them was gone.

But it was Shuuichi that had said the first word. "I'm guessing you're going to visit Kumiko if you're taking this train?"

Reina nodded at his question and responded with a simple "Yes, I am."

"That's what I figured." Shuuichi said still staring ahead.

A silence washed over them again for a little bit before Reina shot back at him.

"What about you?"

Shuuichi turned his head slightly towards Reina. "What about me?"

"Are you going to visit her too?" Reina asked.

"Ah, no. I'm just heading home right now."

"I see." Reina said. "As a friend, do you not want to check up on her as well?"

"Ah, it's not that I don't want to." Shuuichi waved his hands. "I would but..."

"But?"

"I don't think she'd really want me to visit her." Shuuichi said scratching his cheeks.

"Hmm? Why not? You two are close friends are you not?"

"Close is a little bit stretching it at this point." Shuuichi said. "She usually gets annoyed whenever I'm near her."

"She's annoyed at you? I thought that was how she normally was around you."

Shuuichi's face fell with a sweatdrop. "You thought that was normal?"

Reina nodded. She never really thought of it out of the ordinary. From her time spent with Kumiko, that's what she thought that her personality was usually like.

Shuuichi's expression dropped to an unamused look at Reina's answer. But her expression and nod seemed like she was completely serious.

Seeing Shuuichi's befuddled expression, Reina brought up a question. "Why would she be annoyed at you? I thought you were her childhood friend."

Shuuichi suddenly looked a little downtrodden after Reina asked her question.

"Well, I kind of did something that ticked Kumiko off."

"What did you do to tick her off? Did you hang around another girl or something? Was it that 2nd year trombone girl that you're always with?"

"No, it wasn't that. I doubt she even cares about something like that, she wouldn't get jealous over me."

"Then what is it? Why is she annoyed at you?"

Shuuichi let out a sigh as he began to recall the reason for Kumiko's ire at him. "During our last year of middle school together, I kind of screwed up."

"Last year...what did you do?" Reina asked with a curious expression

"Well..." Shuuichi started. "I was just hanging out with my friends when Kumiko suddenly came up to me asking whether or not I was coming over to her place to eat dinner, and I kind of..."

"Kind of?"

"I kind of said something along the lines of 'Don't talk to me ugly!' in response to her question."

Almost immediately after Shuuichi finished telling his story, Reina almost let out a laugh a snicker as she placed a fist over her mouth. A couple of giggles making their way out occasionally

"Yeah, yeah. I know, go ahead and laugh."

"I'm sorry, it's just, wow." Reina said as she let go of her mouth and let out a breath of laughter. "Yeah, I do think any girl would be annoyed at something like that."

"I know that." Shuuichi sighed. "It was a...less than reasonable response."

"You're using less than reasonable to describe that?" Reina said with an amused look on her face.

"Okay, it was a horrible response." Shuuichi corrected himself begrudgingly. "But it was on a stupid impulse. I was just embarrassed to have a girl ask me to come over to their house in front of my friends."

"Why would you get embarrassed? Wouldn't that be a dream for most guys to have a girl say that to them?"

"I guess so, But I was just an idiot." Shuuichi said.

"After hearing all of that, I'm inclined to agree." Reina snickered.

Shuichi let out a bemoaned sigh. "Ever since all of that, Kumiko has basically been annoyed with me and we haven't been as close ever since."

"I see." Reina said. This was a surprising development that Reina had learned. She had really thought that Shuuichi and Kumiko were very close friends which was why she often teased Kumiko about him.

"If you want to make up with her, why don't you apologize for it?" Reina said.

"I already tried doing that. Kumiko has just been cynical about it and didn't care."

"Calling her cynical doesn't really sound like you apologized to her."

"You're close to her Kousaka-san, you know how she is."

Although Reina felt compelled to defend her friend, she thought that maybe Tsukamoto was right a little when she thought about it.

"So yeah. I haven't really had any way to make up with her. I guess I would say our friendship is kind of strained right now." Shuuichi said. "With the way she's been treating me, I think it's best if I just give her some space."

After Shuuichi finished talking, Reina mulled it over as she brought her hand another her chin. This was a peculiar situation that she had just listened to. This whole time she could have sworn that Kumiko and Shuuichi had been a

Then, a thought came to mind.

"If you want to make up with her, why don't you just tell her about what you did for her?"

"Hmm? What did I do for her?" Shuuichi asked curiously. He didn't really recall anything he had done for Kumiko aside from giving her her birthday present.

"Why don't you just tell her about that one time where you convinced her sister to make up with her?" She said.

"Are you talking about Mamiko-san?"

Reina nodded.

"Wait..." Shuuichi recalled that moment where he had talked with Mamiko in the lobby of their apartment building. "How do you know I talked to her?"

"I overheard you guys in the lobby." Reina stated bluntly.

"But I didn't see you."

"Well because I was hiding. I didn't want to interrupt your guys' conversation." Reina said.

"Uh huh." Shuuichi sweatdropped. "So I guess you were the friend that Mamiko-san said was visiting."

Reina nodded.

"Putting aside where I was. As I said why don't you tell her about what you did? I'm sure that what you did was the event that set things in motion for them to make up. Surely Kumiko would be happy to know what you did and you can easily get back closer to her."

"Hmmm." Shuuichi leaned his head back as if he was mulling over what Reina suggested. After a couple of moments he turned back to Reina.

"Well it's not like I did that all that much really. All I did was suggest that she should listen to us and remind her that she was Kumiko's inspiration for band." Shuuichi said. "I wasn't exactly trying to score points with Kumiko or to curry favor. I did that because I cared about them. I've known those two ever since I was a child. I know how close they've been and I thought I would just do my little part to help them reconcile."

"Hmm. That's surprisingly mature of you Tsukamoto-kun." Reina responded.

"Ehehe." Shuuichi rubbed the back of his head.

"You might be a little too humble though in your role." Reina said.

"All I want to do is support her as much as I can. It doesn't really matter how big of a role I play." Shuuichi said. "Which is why I'm fine with the way things are even if she is annoyed at me."

"Oh?" Reina questioned.

"I've accepted that we've grown apart. We used to be each others' best friends but now we have our own friend group and you're her best friend now." Shuuichi said gazing at Reina. "But I'll continue to do what I can to support her even from this distance."

Reina was surprised at Shuuichi's response. What she initially thought was that he was just a guy that was pining very hard for Kumiko. Heck, she still thought he was pining for her since it was obvious. But his response certainly revealed a little bit more to his character than what she had perceived.

"You know, I think my opinion has changed of you Tsukamoto-kun."

"Hmm? How so?" Shuuichi asked surprised.

"Well at first I just thought you were just this spineless childhood friend Kumiko had that was too chicken to ask her out."

"Geh." Shuuichi said surprised at Reina's jab at him. "Well thanks Kousaka-san. I also do seem to recall you saying that back at the festival" Shuuichi thought back to the festival when he and Chikao had encountered the pair.

"But now, my view of you has changed." Reina said. "You're certainly more than what meets the eye."

"Thanks?...I guess." Shuuichi slowly responded, kind of skeptical what Reina meant about that.

"Don't worry, it's a good thing." Reina giggled. "If you don't want to mention your deeds to Kumiko, that's fine I guess. But at the very least, I'll commend you for it and say you're a pretty good friend to her Tsukamoto-kun."

At Reina's words, Shuuichi slowly smiled. "Thanks Kousaka-san." Shuuichi said. "And to pay back your compliments, let me say the same thing and say the same to you."

"Hmm?" Reina tilted her head.

"As I said before, you're Kumiko's best friend now and you've been a good friend and influence on her." Shuuichi said. "I'll do what I can to support her and you continue to do what you can right by Kumiko's side." Shuuichi said to Reina.

Reina nodded and smile. "I'll do my best."

* * *

 **AN: Too many fics try to paint Shuuichi as the bad guy so I thought I'd try this little tidbit. We never really see Shuuichi and Reina interact directly so this idea came to mind after seeing the little scene where Reina overheard Shuuichi and Mamiko talking. I thought that was a scene with potential to be used as a topic between the two and lo and behold we have this chapter.**


End file.
